Saturday, December 31, 2016

Squirrels Ask for a Draw

"We will accept a draw. We get one feeder.
The birds get the rest. Deal?"

I checked the squirrel dominance of the feeders by removing the window screen that served  them so well in gaining a toehold for their back legs. Stretching across the void, they grabbed the central feeder and scared the birds away.

With the slippery surface of the window allowing no purchase for their rear feet, the squirrels went back to the trees to debate, decide, and offer a compromise.

They will still nibble from their position on the brick wall, but let the birds feed from every other vantage point:

  • The central sunflower feeder
  • The suet feeders
  • The finch feeder
  • The ground.

The platform feeder, now close to the ground and packed with kernels of field corn, will be a de-militarized zone for birds and squirrels to share. Both favor sunflower seeds but are willing to eat corn on a bad day.